The circular economy transition isn’t on the way; it’s happening right now. These five industries are already transforming supply chains, reducing waste, and unlocking new economic value.
Fashion & Textiles – Closing the Loop on Clothing Waste
What circular looks like: Circular in textiles means designing clothes for durability, repair, and recycling, using regenerative or recycled materials, and keeping garments in use through resale, rental, and take-back schemes.
Why it’s happening now: The amount of textile waste humans produce has risen exponentially over the last twenty years. More countries are incentivising circular design choices in textiles, and customers are demanding more durable and sustainable purchase options.
Real company leading change: In 2023, Primark partnered with the Circular Textiles Foundation to deliver an advanced training programme on circular design principles for its Design and Product teams.
Construction – Building with Circular Materials
What circular looks like: The use of reclaimed building materials; modular and reversible design; material passports; reuse of demolition waste; removing waste from the site by design.
Why it’s happening now: There are many reasons why construction is becoming more circular, which include pressure from decarbonisation targets and embodied carbon in construction, but also supply chain disruptions, which make reuse more cost-efficient.
Real organisation leading change: Northumbria University secured £250,000 in research funding for a project to develop ‘AI-driven decision-support systems’ to help construction managers identify waste generation points, implement effective handling strategies, and assess project sustainability.
Food & Beverage – Eliminating food waste streams
What circular looks like: Circularity is all about preventing surplus food from being wasted, redistributing what’s edible, and turning inedible scraps into valuable resources like animal feed, compost, or energy through anaerobic digestion.
Why it’s happening now: Food loss and waste account for 8-10% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing this waste stream is not only good for the planet, but it is a valuable resource that is being wasted. Food redistribution gives surplus food to those in need, and anaerobic digestion is an alternative to landfill that generates energy.
Real initiative leading change: The UK Food and Drink Pact aims to reduce food waste by 50% per capita by 2030, emphasising the importance of recycling and waste reduction strategies.
Electronics – Designing for repair and reuse
What circular looks like: The circular economy in electronics means designing devices to last longer, be easily repaired or upgraded, and eventually disassembled for reuse or recycling.
Why it’s happening now: It keeps valuable materials – like metals, plastics, and critical raw materials – in the loop instead of being discarded, while enabling new business models such as device leasing, refurbishment, and take-back programmes.
Real company leading change: Trojan Electronics is a UK-based company specialising in electronics refurbishment, repair, and circular economy services. Parts that cannot be refurbished are responsibly recycled, recovering valuable metals and plastics for new products.
Cities & Infrastructure – Creating circular urban systems
What it looks like: Urban areas are adopting circular economy principles by integrating renewable energy, waste recycling, and sustainable infrastructure.
Why it’s happening: Urbanisation is increasing, leading to higher resource consumption and waste generation, which necessitates more sustainable urban planning.
Real city leading change: The City of Amsterdam has implemented a comprehensive circular economy programme aimed at reducing waste and promoting sustainable urban development. This initiative is part of their broader strategy to halve the use of new raw materials by 2030 and achieve a fully circular city by 2050.
Conclusion
These industries are not just adopting circular economy practices; they’re leading the charge towards a sustainable future.
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